Portland Maine Mail Boat Ride And Tour

The last time I took a trip on a mail boat was years ago in Grenada.  I read an article about traveling this way and took the boat from Grenada to the islands of the Grenadines and up to St. Vincent.  The boats were old sailboats with duct tape holding the mast together and the rides weren't exactly the safest in the world.  When I heard that there was a mail boat in Portland, Maine I had to take a tour.

Instantly, it wasn't exactly like the trip I had before.  The boat was more of a ship and since it was a sunny day, it was packed with people.  Most of the people on board were tourists with a scattering of workers getting on from an island to go back home.

I love being on a boat.  At the beginning, I was excited to board and feel it move across the bay.  By the looks of it, it seemed many people were prepared for taking a three hour tour with snacks and drinks.  The captain and our tour guide was a woman which I found interesting.  What a fun job to drive a boat to different islands in Maine and being far enough away from tourists that you didn't have to talk to them.

It was the warmest and most beautiful day in Maine by far.  It felt like a hot summer day right in September.  It was a delight.  Throughout the stops, the boat delivered a trailer, mail packages, picked people up and dropped people off for three hours.

After the tour, I took a walk around downtown Portland.  This little city is a favorite by far.  It's so quaint with old brick roads, cute shops and interesting people scattered about.  If you've never been to Maine, I would recommend a visit.  I can almost guarantee that you will fall in love with the area.  I know I have.

A Visit To Pike Place Fish Market In Downtown Seattle

You may have seen it on television.  The place where fish is thrown and caught by the workers at the fish market at pike's place market in downtown Seattle.  I've been here before, but I always enjoy going back.  I decided to be a tourist and take pictures of the famous sign and guys throwing the fish, but I also wanted to photograph and get to know some locals in the area.

I stopped and asked a few locals if I could take their photograph while they were relaxing on a break from work.  There were a few working at the farmers market, one was a street performer and one was a local that stood in the same spot, day after day.  I knew this because I went on a different day and there he was.

There are several tourists enjoying the area and it is pretty exciting to see all of the produce laid out perfectly with the smell of flowers in the air.  Even though the open air market is full of fish, it is surprisingly clean for the amount of food that comes in and out of the market each day.

I took my time and walked to the park that's next to the market, lounged around to watch the people and took a second walk through the "food mall."  The first Starbucks is located here and all of the tourists have to wait in line for a drink to say they've been there.  Perhaps they weren't aware that they could walk one block to find another Starbucks without a wait.

I really enjoy Seattle.  It's a big city without the feeling of a big city.  I tried to visit SAM (Seattle Art Museum) but each time I took to trip, they were closed.  Perhaps next time.  There are several things to do in this city and if you come for a visit, I hope you like seafood.

I have a lot more photographs to share from the market, but perhaps in another blog.  For more of my photographs of humans in their habitat, click HERE.